A HEADTEACHER who lives in Trull celebrated the announcement of her OBE on Friday...with a cold.

Lorraine Heath, who was given the award for her role as chief executive of Uffculme Academy Trust, shook off the bug in time to crack open the champagne with her family on New Year's Eve.

Mrs Heath, 52, is head at Uffculme School and leads the trust, which incorporates the secondary and primary school in the Devon village.

She is currently responsible for a project to potentially integrate Chard's Holyrood and Axminster's Axe Valley schools into the trust.

Commenting on the accolade, Mrs Heath said: "I'm very grateful. It was a shock and a surprise. I'm honoured.

"It's a real privilege to do the job I do and to be recognised for it. I feel very proud.

"I'm also proud for the people I work with. Without them, I'm sure I wouldn't be being honoured.

"It's a tribute to the school and the really special community. It seems unfair that, as the leader, I'm the one who gets all the credit and the plaudits. It's an amazing school."

Mrs Heath was brought up in Yeovil and attended Exeter University before her first teaching post at the former Ladymead School, in Taunton.

She then had spells at Huish Episcopi and Court Fields, in Wellington, where she was head of English, and spent a year as English consultant for the National Strategies before returning to Ladymead as assistant head.

She has been at Uffculme School since 2008, where she is the headteacher.

Mrs Heath is on the regional Headteacher Board, working with outstanding South West heads with Sir David Carter on the academies programme. She is also on the board of Richard Huish College Trust.

She has two children and a stepson and is married to Ronald, who was head of PE at the former St Augustine of Canterbury School, Taunton, and now trains primary PE teachers, as well as Taunton Tigers basketball club.